“No one person can be controlled by another, unless they want you to.”

Stop.

Please… Read the information below, before you watch the video.

The videos contained for reference are merely a sample of what you will find when you research the topic.

At no point is there ridicule, or blame toward anyone contained within the footage. Having been involved in similar situations, ( as a police officer and paramedic) I too had to learn some truths the hard way. If you have followed DT4EMS’ educational posts for long, or taken any of our EVE courses, you will recognize how they all relate, and flow together.

During Defensive Tactics training in the police academy, a couple of things taught really stuck with me. (Unfortunately, some didn’t become apparent until I was in the middle of a use-of-force situation).

The first being “No one person can control another, unless they want you to.” Man, that is so flippin’ true. Second, and no less important, was stats regarding police officers and the types of resistance faced, to an arrest:

90% of uses of force against no, or passive resistance.

5% are against defensive resistance

5% are act of aggression

If a “positive field response” to previous actions in 95 times of doing something, #96 is the curveball, the mind spins wildly, wrestling with… Wait, why didn’t that work, when it has every time before? All while trying to respond to whatever the new problem is. (R.A.C.E.) ** This directly correlates with combative patient/restraint situations for the healthcare provider.**

Example: If 95% of the time, no force, or minimal force was used to apply soft restraints to restraint a geriatric CVA in order to prevent extubatiion… v. On patient #96, trying to apply same techniques against a 25 year-old, high on bath-salts who’s attempting to eat your face.

As you watch the video, think about the following questions:

1. How effective are the average or “standard” police custody/control techniques in these videos? If empty-hand control techniques are so effective, why do officers have all the other tools (OC, Taser, baton, firearm) on their belt?

2. How often have you witnessed police type control techniques; pressure points, arm bar takedown for cuffing fail, on a scene or in an ED?

3. Have you witnessed what you thought was a patient restraint situation, turn into a criminal assault?

A criminal aggressor doesn’t follow rules. They don’t come to a class to learn how to attack.

Police officers must follow rules. They are not involved in a fight per se, they are trying to take legal custody of someone, or defending themselves from a criminal assault occurring during the attempted custody.

Healthcare providers must also follow rules. We are not supposed to be taking custody. We are offering care, to patients.